The Art of Randomness

10EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN

The scientific method is the backbone of science. It involves the creation of theories from hypotheses that are tested through experiments and supported by evidence gleaned from those experiments. In this chapter, we’ll explore the design of experiments, or experimental design, a foundational part of the scientific method. Randomness is critical to successful experimental design for two main reasons. First, many measurements, regardless of the field, involve uncertainty or other factors outside of the researcher’s control, called random noise. We use randomness in experimental design to combat noise, like fighting fire with ...